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Gas tax extension set for vote next week by Jacksonville City Council

Bob.Mack@jacksonville.com More information regarding the uncertain agreement with the Jacksonville Transit Authority taking over the St. Johns River ferry will be revealed next week.

A City Council committee cleared legislation Tuesday to extend Jacksonville’s gas tax through 2036 and fund a slate of transportation projects with the money.

The full council will vote next week on continuing the tax, which had been scheduled to expire in 2016.

Two other committees had already voted before the council’s Finance Committee approved the extension bill (2013-820) unanimously with little discussion.

Among a few areas of concern is the effect of a still-uncertain agreement reached Monday for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to negotiate to take over operation of the St. Johns River ferry by October 2015.

It’s unclear whether the ferry commission that manages the boat now still will be involved in that.

“That’s a question we can’t answer for today or before next Tuesday night,” Councilman John Crescimbeni, the ferry commission chairman, told members.

Language that Finance members added to the gas-tax bill committed JTA and the commission to negotiate a transition by October 2015, with JTA paying $400,000 annually if no agreement is reached. JTA had already agreed to provide $200,000 this year.

Despite a lack of detail in the bargain reached Monday with the ferry commission, “the terms are acceptable to JTA,” CEO Nathaniel Ford said.

Gas tax revenues will be used to bankroll JTA’s transit operations and about $100 million in bonds to pay for a series of road, sidewalk, bike and transit projects. As the legislation moved through committees last week, the bill was amended to allow JTA to use the revenue for “any legal purpose.”

Steve Patterson: (904) 359-4263

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